Daniel 9:17-18 (NLTse)
[17] "O our God, hear your servant's prayer! Listen as I plead.
For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.
[18] "O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and
see our despair. See how your city–the city that bears your name–lies in ruins.
We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.
As I read this, I couldn’t help but think of the church. In Daniel it was the
temple in Jerusalem that had been desolated. Today the temple of God is not a
building or a place, but the church. Individual believers are the living stones
built together into the temple of God indwelt by God himself. But in recent years
there has been scandal after scandal that has rocked the church. First it was television
preachers begging for money. In more recent days it is megachurch pastors who
have fallen into drug use, alcoholism, immorality, and abusive leadership. But
it is not limited to megachurches. They are just the ones that make the news. The
church is desolate, and because of that it is rejected and even mocked.
In chapter 9 verse16 Daniel pleads,
In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious
anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring
nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our
ancestors.
Jerusalem, the place of God’s temple, his holy mountain was being mocked
because of their desolation. The same is true today. The church is laughed at.
The church that espouses marital faithfulness, morality, and love had been
practicing just the opposite. And it is not just the hip, popular preachers of
the day, it includes fundamentalist voices as well. News about another fallen
church leader has almost become a daily occurrence.
Perhaps, with Daniel we need to make an honest confession. As the people of
God, we need to plead with God for the restoration of his church. Not every
church is corrupt. No even most churches are included, but it is enough to give
God a bad name. With Daniel, let us honestly confess the sin of the church whether
it is our sin personally or not. Let us plead with God for the restoration of
his church, not for our sake, but for his name’s sake. Not because we deserve
to be respected as the people of God, but because of his great mercy. Father,
restore your church.
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